"Night Monster" was another of those foggy night pictures turned out by Universal in the 1940s. Top billed Bela Lugosi and Lionel Atwill have little to do this time around.
Rich and powerful but wheel chair bound Kurt Ingston (Ralph Morgan) has called the three doctors who had operated on him rendering him without limbs to his creepy mansion for a planned retribution. His unstable sister, Margaret (Fay Helm) has reached out to Dr. Lynne Harper (Irene Hervey) unbeknownst to Kurt for help.
Ingston maid Molly Carson (Janet Shaw) is leery of the goings on and quits her job. The chauffeur Laurie (Leif Erikson) is driving her to town when he pulls over and tries to come on to her. She flees and is picked up by Jed Harmon (Eddy Waller) who later brings her back to collect her possessions. Some one phones the gatekeeper Torque (Cyril Deleventi) to tell Harmon not to wait as Molly has decided to stay the night. Not true. When Molly finds Harmon gone she is forced to walk when she hears noises and winds up murdered.
The three doctors, King (Atwill), Timmons (Frank Reicher) and Phipps (Francis Pierlot) arrive. Dr. Harper whose car has broken down is rescued by Dick Baldwin (Don Porter), a mystery writer and friend of Ingston.
Ingston calls everyone to the living room to have his friend Agor Singh (Nils Asther) give a demonstration of the transfer of matter from one place to another. A skeleton magically appears along with a blood stain on the carpet.
The three doctors are murdered one by one and Police constable Cap Beggs (Robert Homans) is called in. Then Laurie is found murdered.When Baldwin spirits Dr. Harper away a mysterious figure emerges from within the house and begins to stalk the couple. Could this be the killer? Who is it?
Lugosi and Atwill are totally wasted in this film Lugosi is the sinister looking butler Rolf (the butler didn't do it) and Atwill the first doctor to be murdered not even half way into the film. Homans as the Police Constable is too old for his role, I thought.
Standard Universal fare.
Rich and powerful but wheel chair bound Kurt Ingston (Ralph Morgan) has called the three doctors who had operated on him rendering him without limbs to his creepy mansion for a planned retribution. His unstable sister, Margaret (Fay Helm) has reached out to Dr. Lynne Harper (Irene Hervey) unbeknownst to Kurt for help.
Ingston maid Molly Carson (Janet Shaw) is leery of the goings on and quits her job. The chauffeur Laurie (Leif Erikson) is driving her to town when he pulls over and tries to come on to her. She flees and is picked up by Jed Harmon (Eddy Waller) who later brings her back to collect her possessions. Some one phones the gatekeeper Torque (Cyril Deleventi) to tell Harmon not to wait as Molly has decided to stay the night. Not true. When Molly finds Harmon gone she is forced to walk when she hears noises and winds up murdered.
The three doctors, King (Atwill), Timmons (Frank Reicher) and Phipps (Francis Pierlot) arrive. Dr. Harper whose car has broken down is rescued by Dick Baldwin (Don Porter), a mystery writer and friend of Ingston.
Ingston calls everyone to the living room to have his friend Agor Singh (Nils Asther) give a demonstration of the transfer of matter from one place to another. A skeleton magically appears along with a blood stain on the carpet.
The three doctors are murdered one by one and Police constable Cap Beggs (Robert Homans) is called in. Then Laurie is found murdered.When Baldwin spirits Dr. Harper away a mysterious figure emerges from within the house and begins to stalk the couple. Could this be the killer? Who is it?
Lugosi and Atwill are totally wasted in this film Lugosi is the sinister looking butler Rolf (the butler didn't do it) and Atwill the first doctor to be murdered not even half way into the film. Homans as the Police Constable is too old for his role, I thought.
Standard Universal fare.